Croydon Business Guide. 2023.

BUSINESS GUIDE

Caridon Group provides exceptional, end-to-end residential property solutions throughout the UK. Founded in 2009, Caridon Group is a key leader in the UK residential property sector. We have built a cast-iron reputation for making the difficult easy through our combined services and solutions. We provide an award-winning service to tenants and landlords through property management and rental consultancy. We acquire sites, develop and boost supply of outstanding homes for private residents and tenants. We add value to investment and maximise income for landlords. Our foundation branch offers specialist supported housing service to tenants that are deemed vulnerable within the community The Landlord Solution arm is a dedicated consultancy service specialising in Housing Benefit and Universal Credit advice and guidance. Together as a group we design, build, procure, manage, care and support to make a difference in housing.

DISCO VE R COLIND ALE GARDENS

W ith a collection of luxurious, high s pecification apartments surrounde d by open green space yet close to a menities and with excellent train and

including a residents-only gym an d private concierge

Brand new show homes a vailable to vie w

Colindale Gardens

Studio, 1, 2 and 3 bedrooms from £364,995

Call us on 0203 811 5248

144 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5HU

www.redrow.co.uk

SMAR TER, GREENER , QU ALIT YC O NSTRUCTIO N

Developed by

www. deconstruc on.co.uk

Tide Construc on is a leading property development and contrac ng company u lising both tradi onal and modular construc on. Key benefits of our system include reduced construc on programmes, less onsite disrup on, an earlier return on investment and enhanced sustainability.

www.visionmodular.com

Vision Modular Systems embraces offsite construc on by manufacturing turnkey modules for the construc on industry using lean processes and techniques. The use of these innova ve methods results in superior standards in quality, sustainability, regulatory compliance, health and safety.

Market leaders in 3D volumetric, modular Residen al, Build-to-Re nt, Hotel, Co-living and Student Development s

BUSINESS GUIDE

Our Advertisers:

Tel: 01420 477080

Email: sales@mybusinessclient.com

Web: www.mybusinessclient.com

Please note:

This publication is wholly or partially funded by the advertisers herein and the publisher. It is provided at no charge to the Council.

We gratefully acknowledge the support of all the firms whose advertisements appear in these pages. Without their help we would not be able to produce this guide. As a reciprocal gesture we have pleasure in drawing the attention of our readers to their announcements, but wish to make it clear that Croydon Council can accept no responsibility for their products or services advertised. All ads were correct at time of sign off.

YOU NAME IT, WE COVER ALL TYPES OF WORK.

Ultimate Property Services can undertake new-build, repair, maintenance, interior and exterior works, roofing, plumbing, electrical.

With a wealth of experience in all fields of construction and maintenance, Ultimate is the perfect partner for your residential or commercial property maintenance needs.

All work is guaranteed and carried out to the highest standards, with the minimum of disruption.

Trusted by landlords and homeowners Organisations like Croydon Council value Ultimate's skillset and reliability for their maintenance needs

Minor to major

From small to large, Ultimate Property Services can benefit any project

Highly skilled sta

Our people are skilled, experienced and accredited by the leading trade associations

Finest Materials

We source all our materials from the most reliable and highest quality suppliers

Since 1967, ccha has been committed to providing high-quality, affordable housing and sector-leading customer care.

With over 1,400 homes across the boroughs of Croydon, Sutton and Bromley, we’re committed to make a lasting difference in the areas where we operate.

By collaborating with par tners who share our vision, we’ve been able to provide urgently needed affordable homes for rent to local residents while creating oppor tunities for them to buy a home through our shared ownership and outright sale programme

However, we are more than just housing, we are a founding patron of the Croydon Legacy Youth Zone, which plays a vital role in suppor ting young people in the community. By ‘delivering on our promises’ we aim to continuously improve standards and inspire the next generation.

We’re focused, we’re forward thinking, yet grounded by knowledge and experience.

Our Borough

Connectivity without compromise

Croydon’s outstanding transport connections open up a comprehensive range of commuter, national and international transport options for businesses, clients and staff. Croydon is only 15 minutes from central London and Gatwick Airport, and so is perfectly located for both international trade and international companies looking to open a UK or London base.

Premium doesn’t need to be expensive

Croydon is a strategic centre in the London Plan, and is attracting leading companies to locate their headquarters here. Offering grade A office space for just a third of the cost of space in central London, it’s no surprise that Croydon has become a base for large organisations such as Superdrug and Mott MacDonald.

Attract the best talent

Are you looking for local, skilled and experienced Croydon talent?

Croydon Works - Croydon’s very own job and training hub – works in a partnership with CALAT, Croydon College and DWP to prove a free, professional and bespoke recruitment service for local residents and businesses.

We support our residents with training and advice to help them find jobs they love. With specialisms across a range of sectors, we are here to help you recruit the very best employees, apprentices, and trainees for your business.

For more information about Croydon Works visit croydonworks.co.uk

Thinking global, acting local

We’re an engineering, management and development company, and our 16,000 employees around the world, including in Croydon, help to deliver homes, hospitals, and water services. Ourpurpose is to improve society by considering social outcomes in everything we do, relentlessly focusing on excellence and digital innovation to support our clients and transform people’s lives.

schools and o ces, as well as transport, power

Croydon – The Mayor’s London Borough of Culture!

This is Croydon. Historic and modern. Diverse and dynamic. Urban and green. Always striking, surprising; youthful and unique. This crucible of creativity, born out of adversity. This edge of the city, that’s at the heart of the action.

From main-stage headliners to the sounds of the underground, from famous names to tomorrow’s new voices, this will be a yearlong celebration to which everyone, and every Londoner, is invited. This is Croydon. And you’re welcome.

culturecroydon.com/

Just as great to live as to work in

Enjoy living in one of London’s most affordable and culturally-rich locations. Benefit from some of the cheapest house prices in London and being near to some of the best schools in the country. With excellent local transport networks and almost 130 parks too, Croydon is a great choice for anyone seeking more benefits of London with easy access to the countryside and the south coast.

An Insiders Guide to Croydon

From graphic street-art and modern office buildings to heritage sites and beautiful parks and

really is something for everyone in Croydon.

Discover the wealth of exciting events, fantastic places to eat, drink and shop, and prepare to be impressed. Treat yourself to a fabulous night out at our cinema in the heart of the town centre, or experience comedy at the Spread Eagle. Or perhaps you prefer the great outdoors?

With panoramic views of London’s skyline, ancient history, wildlife-rich chalk grassland and expansive countryside walks, Farthing Downs in Coulsdon offers something for everyone.

www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/greenspaces/the-coulsdon-commons/farthing-downs/ visit-farthing-downs

You could go sailing on South Norwood Lake or gliding in Kenley Airfields. Your choices are endless…

Where to eat

The restaurant quarter on South End offers an amazing variety of cuisine from all corners of the globe. Everything from Spanish, Italian, Thai, Lebanese, and Mauritian, to fusion cuisine and fine dining. Firm staples as well as new favourites are equally at home here including Bagatti’s, Galicia, Atesh, Abshar and Yumn Brasserie and many more.

BOXPARK in Ruskin Square, next to East Croydon station, offers many of London’s most exciting and vibrant restaurants, cafés and bars including Bike Mike’s Caribbean, bao bao taiwanese street food and Coqfighter.

Where to shop

Croydon offers a vibrant shopping experience for those looking for some retail therapy or places to eat, drink and spend time.

Croydon has a variety of different highstreets across the borough, from Crystal Palace to Coulsdon, Norbury to New Addington, each high street has its own unique personality, shops and places to eat and drink.

woods, there

BOXPARK IN RUSKIN SQUARE, NEXT TO EAST CROYDON STATION, OFFERS MANY OF LONDON’S MOST EXCITING AND VIBRANT RESTAURANTS, CAFÉS AND BARS

Natural Croydon

Croydon offers more green space than any other borough in London. With a wealth of parks and open spaces you’ll be spoilt for choice. Historic Park Hill, Wandle Park and wide open, Lloyd Park stretches for miles, and offers a café, children’s playground, bowling green and an outdoor gym.

The Queen’s Garden is the perfect spot to top up your Vitamin D during a lunch time stroll, or perhaps a run in Park Hill?

Coombe Woods is a beautiful wood-land with picturesque gardens and manicured lawn; it is also home to the Coach House Café that offers all-day bistro fare and a charming courtyard.

Croham Hurst is a 33.6 hectare biological “site of special scientific interest” and a “site of metropolitan importance for nature conservation” in South Croydon.

Wandle Park had a £4 million facelift that included restoration work on the River Wandle.

Take little ones for a visit to the Croydon Ecology Centre to explore natural habitats, trees from around the world, and honey bees.

Or you could try sailing on South Norwood Lake or gliding in Kenley Aerodrome?

Where to stay in Croydon

There is a variety of options when choosing where to stay both in the town centre and disctrict centres.

Getting around

Croydon town centre sits 10 miles due south of central London, close to the A23 London to Brighton Road, with Sutton to the west, Purley to the south, Bromley to the north-east and Thornton Heath and Streatham to the north.

Tramlink connects Wimbledon with Beckenham Junction, Elmers End and New Addington, running through Croydon, passing East Croydon and West Croydon stations. The Ampere Way stop serves the Purley Way industrial and retail parks on the western edge of Croydon, including the Ikea store.

East Croydon has fast trains to London Bridge and Victoria, taking about 15 minutes. South Croydon is on the same line and takes a few minutes more. West Croydon also has trains to London Bridge and Victoria that take around 22 minutes, a few minutes longer from Waddon on the same line. West Croydon is also on the Over-ground with trains to Canada Water, where commuters change for Canary Wharf. Gatwick Airport is a mere 15 minutes’ train ride away.

Supporting your Business

Croydon Council is passionate about its business community and is lucky to have great support networks to help businesses start, develop and grow.

Visit

Federation of Small Businesses

We are also offering one-year memberships with the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), to support its small businesses with a wide range of services and advice on legal issues, health and safety and HR and business banking, as well as networking opportunities. Interested businesses can email economicdevelopment@croydon.gov.uk for more information.

South East London Chamber of Commerce

Local businesses can apply for a free 15-month membership with the Croydon division of the South East London Chamber of Commerce. Membership offers support with finding additional funding opportunities, workshops, webinars and training. Businesses can apply online entering code “croydon2022” to take advantage of the offer.

For more information about business support please visit: www.croydon.gov.uk/businesslicences-and-tenders/businesssupport-and-advice Find

If

If you are interested in having your property included, get in touch with the team.

info@developcroydonforum.com

Education

Early years provision

Croydon has a thriving private and council run nursery sector. Our 43 Primary Schools have nursery classes; there are also eight council-run nurseries and a huge number of private day nurseries, pre-schools and term time only providers.

Primary education

With 86 primary schools, the borough’s young population is well served. Croydon’s primary schools are committed to working in partnership with parents/carers and each other to provide an outstanding education.

Secondary education

Post-16 education

There are 15 secondary schools with sixth forms and three colleges offering a wide range of A-levels and vocational qualifications. With over 200 courses available, the needs and desires of all of our young people can be met.

Apprenticeship providers

Croydon College, LSBU, CALAT and John Ruskin College are three of the many providers supporting the borough’s businesses to offer apprenticeships.

University education

University Centre Croydon provides a degree level education at Croydon College in partnership with Sussex University and London Metropolitan University. There are courses in Business, Construction and Building Services, Early Childhood Studies, Education and HR. Croydon College’s School of Art also offers provision up to degree level.

London South Bank University (LSBU)

LSBU provides career-focused degrees and short courses that give real skills for the real world, and the recognition that comes with accreditation from industry partners.

www.croydon.gov.uk/schoolsand-education/universityadult-and-further-education/ london-south-bank-universitylsbu

Adult education

Croydon has 22 state secondary schools. All of them are comprehensive and the vast majority (90% in 2017) are Good or Outstanding. The provision is diverse, including single sex schools and co-ed provision; schools with a religious foundation and those with specialist facilities for sport or music.

This provision is supplemented by The BRIT School, which is a free school for 14-19 year olds. The BRIT School is a worldrenowned performing arts and technology school, with many famous graduates such as Adele and Amy Winehouse.

Croydon is a place of life long learning. CALAT offers more than 500 part-time courses every year at three venues across the borough of Croydon, on behalf of Croydon Council.

The programme includes a variety of recreational, academic, pre-vocational and vocational courses and courses for adults with learning disabilities.

calat.ac.uk/

Croydon’s continued success and prosperity lies in the hands of its children and young people. Their future depends on the quality of the education and training provision.

HIRE AN APPRENTICE

Expand your workforce Upskill your team Tailor talent to your needs

ng

appropriately qualified to meet the needs of

Hiring an apprentice or upskilling an existing member of sta helps build a stronger workforce that is motivated, skilled and your business.

Apprentices come with all levels of experienc to university graduates, from career changers to self-improvers. Hiring an apprentice is a cost-e ective and exciting way to o er on-the-job training, enjoy higher sta retention, and build a culture of learning and development.

www.croydon.ac.uk

Data from apprenticeships.gov.uk

ence: from school leavers t lf i Hi i

chool

To find out more, email apprenticeships@croydon.ac.uk

Smaller employers are eligible for government funding which will pay between 95% and 100% of the apprentice training costs. Larger employers can use the levy to pay for training.

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92% of companies that have taken on apprentices believe this leads to a more motivated and

satisfied workforce

Learning for Everyone at Croydon College Group

or colleges yet still with small class sizes facilitating room for individual attention and support. Students can also build their own programme of study, allowing a specialist focus on their studies while boosting their UCAS points.

The Croydon College Group, encompassing Croydon College, Coulsdon Sixth Form and Croydon University Centre, has a long history of delivering education.

Croydon College offers a wide range of technical and vocational qualifications, which are careerbased and are tailored towards real working environments. The courses offered are designed to give students the best opportunities to gain the qualifications and skills they need for the career they want. The College has recently received over £60 million in investments and prides itself on top-quality teaching spaces, industry standard facilities, software and equipment, as well as links to over 1,000 employers. In addition, Croydon College is one of South London’s leading providers of apprenticeships, which are offered at a range of levels and open to anyone over the age of 16.

Coulsdon Sixth Form College provides the young people of Coulsdon and the surrounding area with an exceptional sixth-form experience. Small enough to know each individual student, yet big enough to provide wide subject choice, access to amazing facilities and teachers who bring their industry experience to the classrooms, studios and workshops.

The choice of subjects at Coulsdon College is extensive with 30 A Levels and a wide range of BTEC subjects. This provides a much broader choice than many other school sixth forms

Croydon University Centre, located right in the heart of Croydon, is passionate about offering high quality, affordable university degrees and higher national programmes, directly to the community. Courses are designed in conjunction with

local industries, this includes healthcare, nursing, teacher training and construction. All tuition is offered in small groups in a supportive and inclusive environment, making the Centre a truly unique place to study, with contact time built flexibly around existing work, childcare or other commitments.

Croydon University Centre has a partnership with the University of Roehampton – one of the top ten universities in London. This collaborative partnership ensures the programmes are updated and incorporate all the important employability elements and essential academic skills. This allows students a real opportunity to further their career ambitions or progress to postgraduate opportunities beyond Croydon University Centre.

We have open days next month, find out more and register at www. croydon.ac.uk, www.coulsdon.ac.uk and www.croydonuniversitycentre. ac.uk

Let’s

The UK uses 12.5 million tonnes of paper and cardboard every year, enough to fill the Albert Hall once every 33 hours.

Source: Confederation of Paper Industries

www.wrap.org.uk/rec ycleat

only print if we have to , and print double sided if we can.

Energy saving

Switching off non-essential equipment in an office overnight saves enough energy to run a small car for 100 miles.

Saving energy saves you money, protects your reputation and helps combat climate change.

Your organisation could save up to 10% through housekeeping actions which cost little or nothing.

Source: www.carbontrust.co.uk

IT’S LOCAL CROYDON ONLINE BUSINESS DIRECTORY

Croydon Council is proud to be part of an exciting service for businesses in Croydon, connecting local businesses with local customers, free of charge and keeping trade inside the local economy.

‘It’s Local’ is an online business directory, built for today’s mobile generation, that accompanies this Croydon Business Guide.

At www.itslocalcroydon.co.uk you can find business services by keyword or company name. It is fully integrated with Google maps, directions and Streetview and includes direct links to businesses’ websites and social media including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

‘It’s Local’ is a business directory for businesses and people who live in, work in and visit Croydon.

There’s no download or install to worry about. The service is dynamic, sending device-appropriate pages to mobiles, tablets, laptops, desktops and Smart TVs.

Scan the QR CODE above to connect you to www.itslocalcroydon.co.uk.

Market your business for FREE!

Search for local companies Shop Local and support the Croydon economy!

WE CREATE SUSTAINABLE SPACES

Delivering high quality interiors and refurbishments that allow businesses and local communities to fl ourish. No matter the scope or scale of the project, from £1million upwards our people have the specialist knowledge and experience to support you whilst creating a big impact.

Together, we will deliver your vision.